The directors of Continental Landscapes are simply promoting modern day slavery within Wandsworth says GMB Southern

GMB members working for Continental Landscapes as drivers and street cleaners on the Wandsworth Council contract are to hold the first of a series of 2 day walk outs on 28th Februaryand 1st March over pay.

Wandsworth Council and it’s contractor have ignored requests to raise staff pay from £7.50 an hour to the real living wage set by the living wage foundation of £9.75.

Paul Grafton, GMB Regional Officer said, “The directors of Continental Landscapes are simply promoting modern day slavery within Wandsworth and yet the Council show no interest and appear to be happy to see the staff earning solittle.

GMB members employed by Continental Landscapes undertake significant manual work for a pittance of £7.50 an hour leaving some staff struggling to pay for the most basic of needs yet thedirectors swan around in their luxury cars and relax in their plush homes in the UK and France. The real cost of bringing staff up to £9.75 per hour could be easily met by Continental Landscapes and still leave a very healthy profit.

Since Continental Landscapes have taken on the contract the staff have suffered, not only in having their hours slashed but also the rates of overtime reduced at weekends and evenings.Some staff will also be losing a further £150 a month as a result of the continual cuts on the contract. The first 2 days of action will be Tuesday 28th February and Wednesday 1st March.”

Notes to editors:1) Continental Landscapes have an operating profit of £2.5 million in 2016, a rise of 25.6% since 2015, on a turnover of £29.8m2) The directors have paid themselves over £1.8 million on bonuses since 2012, companies’ house records show there are 2 significant properties owned in the UK and 1 in France. The companyholds a healthy cash reserve of over £5.5 million.

Deliveroo young workers are exposed to what is the face of contemporary exploitation in London and will be offered union membership to fight it says BWTUC

Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council is holding a protest demonstration outside the Deliveroo depot in Battersea over the exploitation of so called self-employed delivery workers on 9th February as part of the national TUC heart ofunions week.

There will be demonstrators with the BWTUC banner giving our union membership forms and talking to the delivery workers about the benefits of being in a trades union.

Between 8th to 14th Feb 2017 the TUC is organising Heartunions week of action to celebrate the great work done by union reps and members in the UK.Spencer Barnshaw, Secretary of BWTUC said, "Now, more than ever, we must cometogether to protect our rights and promote equality in the workplace. Deliveroo drivers will be offered a chance to join a union to combat what is the face of the exploitation of young workers in contemporary London.

Trade union membership currently makes up about 25% of the working population inthe UK. However, barely 5% of trade union members in the UK are aged 16-24, but more than one third (39%) are aged over 50.

Yet young workers are some of the most vulnerable, who are particularly affected bylow pay, precarious contracts, overqualification, without opportunities for training and progression. They are often working in sectors with low or no union presence and without collective agreements, such as in retail, hospitality and outsourced social care. They are the workers who could benefit the most from union membership, yet their voice is currently missing from our movement.

It is essential these young workers have a better understanding of, and are able toparticipate in, trade unions. This means that we need to get better at responding to their needs and organising in ways that benefit them. This will mean organising in different ways, using digital tools and listening to young workers values and aspirations. If we are unable to involve young workers, we won’t have a trade union movement in the future."End